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The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing has barred mobile vendors from conducting sales in nine designated areas as part of updated operational rules that took effect immediately. Those sites include road intersections, central road medians, parking spaces reserved for persons with disabilities, entrances and exits of main roads, and zones adjacent to traffic lights. The prohibitions further cover public parking areas, bicycle lanes, roads experiencing heavy traffic volumes, and locations assigned to police, traffic, civil defense or ambulance services. Ministry spokesperson Mohammed Al-Rasasmeh stated that officials settled on the restrictions only after detailed review of associated safety factors.
Al-Rasasmeh noted the decision followed consideration of safety aspects to prevent hazards and support orderly movement throughout urban zones. The ministry framed the measure as necessary to guarantee appropriate use of public property while raising overall quality of life for residents in rapidly expanding cities. Such steps align with the ministry’s wider regulatory evolution that seeks to formalize mobile commerce without disrupting essential traffic patterns or emergency access.
Members of the public can alert authorities to any violations by dialing the unified number 940 or submitting details through the Balady application, according to the ministry. Municipal teams will then coordinate with traffic departments to address reported incidents and apply enforcement measures consistently across regions. The reporting channels form part of a broader system that has handled increasing numbers of municipal service requests in recent years, allowing faster resolution of compliance issues.
The latest ban extends regulations introduced by the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing in November 2025 that already barred food trucks from residential neighborhoods and similar sensitive road features, Gulf News reported at the time. Those earlier guidelines similarly targeted traffic disruptions and public safety risks while urging operators to adapt their business models to the new standards. Coordination between municipalities and private vendors has remained a central theme in implementing successive rounds of updates.
In June 2026 the ministry adopted the official designation “mobile vendor” within revised requirements intended to improve the urban landscape, the Balady platform stated. The terminology shift accompanied objectives that included maintaining consumer health and safety standards as well as generating structured job opportunities in the sector, according to an official public consultation document on the regulations. The changes reflect sustained efforts to organize mobile trading activities that had previously operated under less standardized frameworks.
Municipalities nationwide will oversee day-to-day application of the prohibitions, with the ministry emphasizing uniform adherence to the listed restrictions. Operators who comply with licensing and location rules elsewhere continue to receive support through the Balady platform, which offers services for inquiring about approved vendor markets and related permits. The regulatory progression demonstrates the ministry’s ongoing focus on balancing commercial activity with infrastructure protection and resident well-being.
